Here's a few tips from a Blues fan who has visited/posted in this forum off and on for the past 10 years...

- When Wings fans here start breaking out the "How many cups have you won?" Just smile and move on. It is very predictable and you can usually see it coming. It's the equivalent of them running out of bullets in a gun fight and throwing the gun. It happens all of the time.

- Some fans here will question why you are posting here. Those fans do not understand the benefit of having other team's fans contribute.

- You will be called a troll by some. Those particular folks do not know what the definition of a forum troll is...as you rightfully pointed out.

- A few members here (usually newbs) will call you names, attack you, ridicule you and harass you, even if you are simply talking hockey. But don't try to laugh it off or God forbid zing them back, you may get a warning from the staff...or maybe that only happens to me.

Wanna talk about the certain Nashville vs. St. Louis Western Conference Final matchup this year?

I say Blues in 6.

There's nothing wrong with fans of other teams posting here. It's people like you and the person you're responding to that we have a problem with. See if you can spot the difference. This is Matt's house. He lets us play here. When someone invites you to their home, you don't return the favor by s***ting on the carpet.

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff." -- The Doctor

Here's a few tips from a Blues fan who has visited/posted in this forum off and on for the past 10 years...

- When Wings fans here start breaking out the "How many cups have you won?" Just smile and move on. It is very predictable and you can usually see it coming. It's the equivalent of them running out of bullets in a gun fight and throwing the gun. It happens all of the time.

- Some fans here will question why you are posting here. Those fans do not understand the benefit of having other team's fans contribute.

- You will be called a troll by some. Those particular folks do not know what the definition of a forum troll is...as you rightfully pointed out.

- A few members here (usually newbs) will call you names, attack you, ridicule you and harass you, even if you are simply talking hockey. But don't try to laugh it off or God forbid zing them back, you may get a warning from the staff...or maybe that only happens to me.

Wanna talk about the certain Nashville vs. St. Louis Western Conference Final matchup this year?

I say Blues in 6.

Awww look, the Blues fan is getting along with the Predators fan, how cute!

You guys come in here with the excuse that "we're just talking hockey". That's pretty much the equivalent of me poking a bear with a stick and calling it a scientific experiment. You guys are here, pushing buttons, poking us with a stick....don't they have a name for that on the Internet? Oh yeah, TROLLING! It's just like this post above of cprice's...it is not on topic, it is only supporting the Predator's fan on a Red Wing's site, it has no intention being here other than to get under the skin of us Wings' fans....just like the Bertuzzi ping pong incident. Only problem is, this is ourf****** house.

Matt wants you guys to be able to come here, and frankly I don't have a problem with that, but when you start putting up all the smoke and mirrors your gentlemen do...well, I'm not allowed to say what I want about that.

Wanna talk about the certain Nashville vs. St. Louis Western Conference Final matchup this year?

I say Blues in 6.

This is the reason we don't want you here. You're right, it is definitely useful and enjoyable when fans of other teams contribute. MacK_Attack is the first person I think of; a Leafs fan, but one whose posts I've always enjoyed reading. (On that note, I feel like I haven't seen him in a while...?)

What we don't want to see - and the reason we use the term troll - is when people come here and all they do is tell us that their team is going to beat ours. I don't see how that contributes to friendly playoff discussion, especially when there's trash-talking involved (not citing any specific examples, just speaking generally). What possible purpose does this serve other than to get a rise out of the forumgoers here? That is, what purpose other than to troll us and hope for a reaction?

Sure, other team's fans are welcome here. But it should be painfully obvious that it's a Red Wings forum and that you (again, a general you, not you necessarily) are opening yourself up to hostile reactions from Red Wings fans when you post something we don't agree with. You might not like it, but nobody's making you come here. If you can't take the heat, don't play with fire.

What I find funniest about this entire thread is that although all the posts have gotten pretty ridiculous (at this point) I have a massive banner ad on this page trying to sell me ping pong tables...friggin Google knows all